Protecting water-containing systems from microbial contamination is critical to the success of many industrial processes, especially oil or natural gas production operations. In oil and gas operations, microorganism contamination from both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can cause serious problems such as reservoir souring (mainly caused by anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)), microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) on metal surfaces of equipment and pipelines, and degradation of polymer additives.
Microbial contamination can occur anywhere throughout oil and gas operations including injection water, produced water, downhole, near wellbore areas, deaeration towers, transmission pipelines, source water for waterflooding and hydraulic fracturing such as pond water and holding tank water, oil and gas storage tanks, and functional water-based fluids such as drilling muds, completion or workover fluids, hydrotest fluids, stimulation fluids, packer fluids, and fracturing fluids.
Biocides are commonly used to disinfect and control the growth of microorganisms in aqueous systems including those found in oil and gas operations. However, not all biocides are effective against a wide range of microorganisms and/or temperatures, and some are incompatible with other chemical treatment additives. In addition, some biocides do not provide microbial control over long enough time periods. In oil and gas applications, the presence of H2S and elevated temperature present significant and unique challenges for biocide treatments.
It would be a significant advance in the art to provide thermally stable, fast acting, and long lasting biocides for oil and gas applications, including for downhole well treatment, where anaerobic SRB control is often critical.